Dear Representatives,

Independent Women’s Voice, which fights to enhance people’s freedom, choices, and opportunities, is proud to support South Dakota House Bill 1217. If passed into law, House Bill 1217 would establish that, when it comes to public and college athletics in the state of South Dakota, “sex” shall be determined on the basis of biological sex at birth, not gender identity.

In the realm of athletics, biological sex differences matter. Without separate teams for women and men, men will dominate women in competitive sports where strength, size, or speed are relevant factors. That is because, physiologically, the average male is stronger, bigger, and faster than the average female.

Women have fought long and hard for equal athletic opportunities. Allowing males to compete against females will limit women’s chances of success, take spots (and potential scholarships) away from women, and place women at risk of injury.

Protecting fair play is more important now than ever. At the federal level, President Biden recently issued an executive order which jeopardizes the future of women’s sports, and may even place some women and girls in danger.

House Bill 1217 would be a huge step towards protecting female athletes in your state. We urge all Representatives to vote yes in support of this common-sense legislation if it comes to the floor for a vote.

Respectfully,

Hadley Heath Manning
Director of Policy
Independent Women’s Voice